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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Juno’ a favorite at Spirit Awards


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 (The Spokesman-Review)
Susan King Los Angeles Times

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – The quirky coming-of-age comedy “Juno” cleaned up Saturday at the Film Independent Spirit Awards as it continues its Cinderella season going into Sunday night’s Academy Awards.

And actress Ellen Page and stripper-turned-screenwriter Diablo Cody are clearly the belles of the ball.

“Juno” won for best feature film, best actress honors for Page and best first screenplay for Cody at the awards show held Saturday afternoon in a tent alongside the sand in Santa Monica. Page and Cody are also nominated for Oscars along with director Jason Reitman.

The film about a pregnant teen has been this awards season’s critical darling – and standout – as it also competes tonight in the best picture category against darker fare such as “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Michael Clayton” and “Atonement.”

“This is so, so special,” Page said in accepting her award Saturday. “This is pretty much Diablo Cody’s fault,” she joked.

Made on a shoestring budget, “Juno” is the only best picture nominee to surpass the $100 million box office mark, which has buoyed supporters of independent film. That giddiness was in full swing Saturday – it was the Independent Spirit Awards, after all – but levity gave way to several somber moments to remember Heath Ledger, who died in January of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. One of his last films, “I’m Not There,” won two honors.

Director Todd Haynes, accepting the Robert Altman Award for the film, in which a Bob Dylan-esque character is played by several performers, said the recognition was particularly bittersweet in the wake of Ledger’s death.

“We all love him so dearly,” Haynes said. “I treasure the time we spent together on this.”

Earlier, actress Cate Blanchett dedicated her best supporting actress award to Ledger. Blanchett, who won for playing a man in the film, said while accepting the award that Ledger “was probably one of the most beautiful independent spirits of all.”

Philip Seymour Hoffman won best male lead for playing a son dealing with an aging father in “The Savages.” He was expressing surprise at his victory when he was interrupted by a fan in the crowd who shouted, “I love you!” He thanked the fan and then went on to call the film’s screenplay by Tamara Jenkins “one of the best I’ve ever read.”

As their name suggests, the Independent Spirit Awards celebrate independent and low-budget filmmaking. Eligible films must be at least 70 minutes in length; cost of the completed film, including post-production, has to be less than $20 million.